Nelvik Norsk Hydro Ltd.

UNDERWATER BAR

ENTERTAIN YOUR GUESTS UNDERWATER

The Underwater Bar is an exciting new concept that will allow up to twelve guests and two crew members to view the underwater world in complete comfort and safety. The complex provides a unique setting, and relaxed atmosphere, for guests to relax below the surface of the sea. This complex has a maximum diving depth of 70m (200 feet), and provides a panoramic view of the underwater world through large diameter viewports. External lighting, VHF, through-water communications, and underwater video, are fitted as standard.

The Underwater Bar will be based at a location, which offers good logistics, and high exposure for marketing purposes. Dive time will be about one hour per trip for guests, with a maximum of ten dives per day. Corporate and special event dives may also be conducted at certain times, and have a dive duration of up to six hours.

Similar to existing tourist Underwater Bar technology, the Underwater Bar has been constructed with a large passenger-viewing gallery, large viewports and luxury seating. A cocktail bar provides food and refreshments to the guests during their dive. Powerful underwater lights outside the complex, illuminate the seabed during night operations. While subsea cameras record the activities of the marine life, and screen the pictures onto an internal monitor for everyone to watch.
The Underwater Bar is controlled from the pilot's control station, situated in the forward section of the main viewing gallery. From this position the crew are able to control all the main operations and equipment of the complex, and dive or surface as necessary. The normal crew size onboard the Underwater Bar will be two.

Guests diving in the Underwater Bar, require no previous experience or knowledge. All passenger compartments are maintained at one atmosphere condition at all times. It should also be noted that this operation does not create any pollution to the surrounding environment, and by nature of the scientific connections would be dedicated to local conservation.

OPERATIONS PLAN (OFFSHORE)

Each morning the Underwater Bar will be prepared for diving. Guests will check in to a reception centre, receive a safety briefing, and pre-dive orientation presentation, before being taken offshore. Once all guests have boarded, the Underwater Bar will descend beneath the water, and explore the local shipwrecks, marine life, and coral reefs. Powerful underwater lights, sonar, cameras, and various instrumentation will add to this unique experience. At the end of the dive excursion, which will last approximately one hour, the Underwater Bar will surface. Guests will return to the reception centre, where souvenirs will be available. Each evening the Underwater Bar will be serviced, in preparation for the next day.

The Underwater Bar would be moored over one particular site (by single point mooring), and dive without any horizontal movement. The dive site could be enhanced by artificial reefs, fish feeding and by the addition of shipwrecks if required.

Normally a surface controller is appointed each day, to ensure that all surface and diving operations are run in a safe and efficient manner. The surface controller also ensures that good communications are maintained at all times with the complex, the taxi boat, and the main office ashore. Depending on the exact operational arrangement, personnel would also be required to operate the taxi boat, provide customer services, reservations facilities, marketing, and general administration. These personnel could be employed directly by The Underwater Bar operation, or through a local joint venture arrangement at the resort.

LOGISTICS (ONSHORE)

The onshore facilities would consist of the following units. However, it can be assumed that some existing facilities may already be in place, at certain dive locations.

Maintenance Workshop / store
This unit will be located on a suitable site close to the Underwater Bar maintenance berth. It will be equipped as a workshop, and storage area, for all spare parts and consumables. The unit will require an electrical power supply (380/415 vac, 50hz, three phase), fresh water, and good security. Auxiliary equipment will include battery chargers, HP air compressor, and oxygen supply.

Reservations / presentation office
The office will act as a booking, information, customer check-in centre, and sales area. A separate section may also be equipped to offer video and slideshow presentations. Subject to space being available, this centre could feature a small museum / Underwater Bar display area, souvenir shop, and restaurant.

Personnel
The personnel requirement for the Underwater Bar operation will be as follows.
Pilot / technician (3)
Co-Pilot / hostess (3)
Reservations / office (3)

This requirement is based on the Underwater Bar diving 300 days per annum. The personnel level shown may be adjusted to suit operational requirements, shift systems, and any additional diving days organised. Should an offshore vessel be used to support the Underwater Bar operation, crew levels and logistics would need to be reconsidered.

Transportation
The Underwater Bar is very compact, and easily transported by land and sea (in a forty foot shipping container). Land transportation is normally carried out by low-loader. Sea transportation is normally achieved by towing, or on board a suitable vessel.

THE UNDERWATER BAR SPECIFICATIONS

The key words in the design of the Underwater Bar have been reliability, ease of maintenance, and ease of transportability. The Underwater Bar has been designed according to the Det Norske Veritas (DnV) and American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) rules for submersible vehicles. The classification for the vessel is DnV.

Diving control is executed by use of ballast hard and soft ballast tanks, and various control systems at the pilot station. The Underwater Bar main operating systems are located mainly inside the pressure vessel, thus reducing the need for dry-docking during routine maintenance periods.

Length overall	12.0 m
Width overall	2.4 m
Height to deck	2.65 m
Draft on surface	2.0 m
Displacement	35 tons
Max. operating depth	100 m
Drop weight	800 kg
Payload capacity	1750 kg
Passenger capacity	12
Typical crew	2

PROPULSION AND POWER SUPPLY

GAS SYSTEMS

ADVANTAGES OF THE UNDERWATER BAR

The Underwater Bar offers a number of substantial advantages to the operator.

No regular cranage or surface handling equipment is required. The complex is self-contained and can operate independently from shore based facilities if necessary. Surface control and operational assistance requires only a small support boat.

The overall operational costs are low, owing to good design features and quality engineering.

The size and design of the complex allows diving operations to continue safely in rough weather. This gives a high system efficiency and low down times due to poor sea conditions.

Easy access for maintenance and servicing. All important equipment is located within the main compartments of the complex, and can be easily maintained while on the surface or submerged. This results in very high system reliability.

Fantastic marketing tool, with potential to attract corporate sponsorship from a wide range of drink manufacturers.

Great fun for all the guests.

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